I'm am terribly, terribly sorry for the wait but school got in the way. I do hope this chapter is okay. It is unbetaed just to let you know and I will put up the beta'd version asap. I just wanted to post this asap.

Thanks once again to my reviewers! Butterbeers all around! (there actually is a recipe for that, I want to try one...)

Chapter twelve- The first full moon

Darian shivered amongst the biting wind as he and Remus made their way to the Shrieking Shack. He was scared, scared to the point that he was shaking from more then just the cool wind. It was hard for him to imagine that in only a couple short minutes, he would be a monster, a werewolf.

He let out a quiet whimper at the thought.

Remus heard it, due to his acute sense of hearing. Not to mention the small fact that he could sense the terror radiating off from the boy. Remus winced in sympathy as he remembered, with a shudder, his own first transformation. Of course it was still painful to transform into a werewolf but when he had first transformed, it had seemed more painful then the rest.

Probably because his body had been so fragile and small. And now, his body was used to the monthly transformations so it didn't seem as painful.

Remus wrapped a comforting arm around Darian, "It'll be over before you know it, and after we transform, Sirius will be there with us," he said in an attempt to calm the shaking boy.

Darian said nothing as he leaned into the warm embrace; feeling slightly comforted about Remus and Sirius being with him.

They approached the Whomping Willow and Remus grabbed the branch to press the knot. It froze immediately and the two hurried into the Shrieking Shack.

"Where is Sirius?" Darian asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"He will be here in a couple minutes," Remus replied as he took off his outer robes to reveal the most shaggiest article of clothing he owned. "After we transform...."

Darian frowned as he also began to take off his outer robes. He was wearing a pair of Dudley's old clothes, since he had better clothes now thanks to Dumbledore.

"You ready?" Remus asked him gently as he made his way over to the pale boy. "It will be alright, it's not like you're going to die," he told him comfortingly as he eyed Darian's pale and shaking body.

Darian merely nodded and Remus wrapped an arm around him again. "Sirius will be here in a couple minutes," Remus said conversationally. Darian nodded, knowing that the man was only trying to take his mind off of the upcoming transformation.

Remus frowned at the boy, whose eyes were about as wide as Galleons, "Think of something else.....think of Hermione." Remus smiled as the sentence did its deed when Darian blushed.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked in a small voice. Remus blinked and looked at the boy beside him, "Why would I be mad at you?"

Darian shuffled, "For telling Hermione about me being a werewolf."

Remus sighed, "Darian, we've talked about this....it's not your fault, Hermione is a very smart witch, she was bound to find out in a couple months when she recognized the symptoms. It was just an accident," Remus smiled, "And she didn't hate you or abandon you did she?"

Darian let a slow smile creep to his face before he sobered up again, "Snape seems to think that I told her on purpose..."

"So?" Remus asked. "Who cares what Snape thinks? He's wrong, it wasn't your fault and I don't want to hear another word on it," Remus said sternly but gently.

The fell into silence once more, each awaiting the full moon.

Darian felt something akin to butterflies in his stomach; only they were of fear instead of excitement.

He felt an irritation rising up in him as he thought of Sirius not being here with him when he transformed.

What was happening to him? Why was he feeling this way?

But the feeling continued to rise rapidly as he grit his teeth angrily and felt Remus tense from beside him. Irritation was rising up in him like never before, consuming him until he felt an all out loathing for everything. The feeling quickly turned to a burning pain so sudden that it made him cry out sharply and collapse to the floor.

He waited for Remus to help him back up but the other man didn't come. Darian grit his teeth furiously. Where was Remus? Why wasn't he helping? He had promised Darian that he'd be there with him. The irritation along with the pain grew rapidly and Darian's knees gave out as his face hit the floor. He sneezed as the dust stirred up from the floor; he felt the cool wooden floor against his cheek as he let out a hiss of pain.

The searing pain traveled through him until he felt as if his whole body were on fire. The pain was unbearable, worse then the abuse he had suffered from Vernon, worse then the Cruciatus.........so much worse.

He was screaming, that much was for sure; the raw, stinging pain in his throat was telling him that. He could feel himself morphing; changing rapidly making it all the more painful as ripples of pain tore through his small body. His body was jerking as it grew, his muscles buffing, his hands and feet growing larger, his face changing. His teeth felt as if someone were trying to pull them out with a pair of pliers. He curled into a ball, wishing for death to claim him.

A tearing sound was heard above his screaming as his clothing tore.

He barely even recalled taking a breath from the screaming as his voice morphed into something low, fierce. The scream soon turned into a howl.

And just as Darian felt as if he were about to go insane from the pain, it started to recede. The unbearable pain was very slowly reduced to a dull ache.

Darian was still. He couldn't move; he was paralyzed. He tried to move his fingers, his hand, anything, but no limb obeyed. Darian panicked, his breath coming out in quick pants as he tried to regain his strength enough to move at least an inch.

He lay there like that for a moment before he could finally find the strength to move. He slowly sat up, instantly noting the unfamiliar limbs. He carefully stood up on all four legs, only to come crashing back down to the floor a moment later sending a fresh wave of aches coursing through his body.

Darian let out a frustrated growl, surprising himself slightly at the animalistic sound that came from himself. He tried standing on the unfamiliar four limbs again and swayed slightly, but managed to stay upright.

The first thing he noticed was that his sight had changed dramatically. His vision held no color, but everything seemed sharper, more clear and precise. His amber eyes darted around the room, taking in the bed and desk.

He tried an experimental step forward, swaying slightly before nearly loosing his balance again. Once he had steadied himself, he tried another step and then another. When he was sure that he could walk without falling, he looked behind himself to see Moony.

The werewolf looked exactly like he had in Darian's third year.

Darian took a step toward his fellow werewolf, swaying again. Moony walked over to him with ease and Darian felt a pang of resentment. Obviously, Moony sensed that as he gave him a look as if to say, 'Now I've been a werewolf longer then you have!'

Darian blinked his new amber eyes in confusion. Had he just read Moony's mind? Had they communicated telepathically? But, Remus had told him that they couldn't use telepathy. Was he lying? Was he wrong?

The younger werewolf shook his head, his fur rippling slightly. He sniffed and nearly fell over at the strong and different odors that reached his nose. He could smell a scent, heading toward them now.

Darian growled as the scent came closer. Moony growled back at him as if to say, 'It's only Sirius you dolt!'

If he could have then Darian would have slapped himself at the stupidity. He felt an anger rise up in him at Moony's insult.

Who was Moony to insult him anyway?

Just because Moony has been a werewolf longer doesn't make him in charge of everything!

Who was he to tell him, Darian, what to do?

Darian felt anger and irritation rise up in him viciously and he suddenly wanted to attack Moony, to show this old werewolf that he would do what HE wanted to do.

With a loud growl, Darian leapt onto Moony with such force that the two werewolves were knocked down to the floor.

Darian sank his teeth into the other werewolf's neck and Moony howled before whipping around and pinning Darian underneath him. Moony reared back to strike, Darian howled and wriggled himself halfway free. Moony plunged his dagger-like teeth into Darian's right shoulder and Darian yelped in pain.

Why was he doing this again?

Darian really didn't care as he tackled the other werewolf, sending them both spiraling through the wall of the room. Darian whimpered as the chunks of wood and stone fell onto him, causing more blood to flow.

He distantly heard a bark and a second later; Moony's suffocating weight was pulled off of him. He was being yanked up by a pair of teeth, though it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

Darian nearly jumped for joy to see the familiar black dog known as Snuffles to Hogwarts and Padfoot to the Marauders.

Padfoot gave him a disapproving look and turned to glare at Moony, who was currently licking a wound on his paw from a falling brick.

Darian limped over to his godfather, swaying slightly. He dropped down on the floor beside him.

Padfoot rolled his eyes and stood up, giving them a loud bark, informing the two werewolves to follow him. Moony followed the dog as he whipped out of sight and Darian whined slightly as he tried to limp after them, only to fall on the floor once again.

He felt envious of Moony's ability to walk so easily after being injured. He lay on the floor for a moment before Padfoot and Moony came back.

Padfoot barked and Darian whined in response as he tried to stand up again, only to fall due to his injured leg. Moony trotted over to him and sat down.

Darian merely looked at him questioningly. The other werewolf shook his dark head for a moment, giving a soft 'woof'. Darian blinked in confusion. If Moony had been human, he probably would have slapped himself on the forehead in frustration.

Moony lifted his own paw and licked the wound on it.

Darian glanced at the injury on his leg before licking it cautiously, as if he were unsure of his actions. Moony watched him in approval as the he and Padfoot waited patiently for Darian to finish cleaning himself up before they finally headed out of the Shrieking Shack.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione sat at the top of the Astronomy Tower as she looked around nervously. The moon had just risen and she felt a shiver run down her spine as she remembered Remus transforming into a werewolf.

She couldn't even imagine the same thing happening to Darian.

The pain he would feel......and he and Remus would fight, oh Merlin would they fight! Hermione had read all about werewolves and it has been written that when two werewolves, who are not of the same pack, meet then they would most likely fight, due to their need to prove that one is better then the other.

That would cause the most injuries.

Hermione winced as she heard a loud howl echo across the grounds. Her thoughts turned to her Potion's professor. Ever since she had found out that Darian was really Snape's son, she had felt a loathing for the man beyond anything she had ever felt before.

It wasn't because he was Darian's father, no, she was happy that he had a living parent. It was just how much Snape hurt Darian. Not physically, thank Merlin, but mentally; which could sometimes prove worse then physical abuse.

The man just couldn't get over the hatred he had harbored for the last five years. Hermione swore that some of her professors acted so childish sometimes. Darian was Snape's son for Merlin's sake! Snape now knew that Darian was abused so why couldn't the man just.....let go of the old grudges at least long enough to really get to know his son?

Hermione shook her head. She knew Darian trusted her, and she hoped to Merlin that he would come to her if he ever needed anything.

She shivered, many times over the past couple of weeks, Hermione had began to wonder if Darian was suicidal or if he would ever do something similar to that. He had so much to handle, so many were constantly depending on him.

She could only imagine what it must feel like....... All she knew was that she would never be able to handle all the stress that Darian was handling now, she would just burn out under all of it!

Hermione swallowed and closed her eyes, trying to reassure herself that Darian would never do something as stupid as that.

A slight smile grazed her lips as she remembered what had happened when Darian had accidentally told her about him being a werewolf.

######FLASHBACK#######

"You seem to be getting better at Potions, Darian," Hermione said brightly as she, Ron, and Darian walked to lunch.

Darian blushed slightly, "I suppose it's hereditary..." He didn't look very pleased at this.

Ron snorted, "I feel bad for you, mate."

"So how have you and Snape been doing?" Hermione asked innocently. Darian said nothing as he tightened his grip on his books and walked a little faster then his two friends.

Ron glanced at Hermione, "What was that about?" the redhead asked her. Hermione sighed, "Don't ask me, I can't read minds!"

"But you know everything," Ron insisted before hurrying to catch up with Darian. "Hey, mate slow down!" Hermione heard him call after the boy.

Hermione narrowed her eyes as Darian became immediately cheerful again. There was a ghost of fear in his eyes and Hermione became suspicious.

She pulled him aside and told Ron to go on without them. Ron, who had gotten over his little crush on Hermione and was now looking at other girls, smiled slyly and winked at the two of them.

"Have fun!" he called mockingly as he headed on to lunch without them.

Darian sneered after him and turned to Hermione expectantly. "Well?" he asked, arching an inquiring eyebrow.

"What's wrong, Darian?" Hermione asked, her brown eyes filled with concern. "You've been acting so gloomy lately, and it's not even a month into term!"

The boy shuffled his feet as he stared at the ground, "It doesn't matter, it's not important..."

"Of course it is!" Hermione exclaimed, making Darian jump.

Darian sighed, "I just.....have a lot on my mind..." he trailed off. Hermione's gaze softened, "I take it you and Snape aren't getting along that well?" she asked gently.

Her friend nodded slowly, "We hate each other, that will never change."

"Maybe if you try-"

"What do you think I've been doing?" Darian hissed, though the anger was not directed at her. "I'm the one that has to be cautious about what I say. I'm the one who always apologizes. Me! Not him! No, he doesn't even try! He's the one that always starts the damn arguments," Darian snapped, feeling a rush of anger and sadness.

Hermione felt her heart crumble at the look of absolute devastation on Darian's face. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He buried his face into her shoulder and inhaled her scent. He always found Hermione's scent soothing to him for some odd reason.

"And what about the full moon, Hermione?" he whispered to her. "I'm going to turn into a monster and you know how Snape hates werewolves...." Darian trailed off as he realized what he had just said. He immediately clapped his hands over his mouth.

Hermione drew back, her brown eyes wide. "Darian...." she whispered slowly. "You're a.....werewolf?"

Darian could have kicked himself; how could he have been so stupid? He was such an idiot! It must have reflected on his face, for Hermione said quietly, "I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about...."

Darian said nothing as he squeezed his eyes shut and imagined how mad Snape would be when he found out.....how mad Remus would be....

"When did it happen?" Hermione whispered gently.

Darian sighed, there was no point hiding it now. "On Saturday...." he grumbled. "When I 'supposedly' died..."

"Was Remus the one who...." Hermione trailed off and Darian nodded, "He's going to help me....and my first transformation is coming up...oh Merlin they're going to be so mad! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone..."

"Don't worry, I said I wouldn't tell anyone," Hermione reassured him. "I won't even tell Ron."

Darian looked up at her, "Please don't be afraid of me," he whispered suddenly. Hermione blinked, "Why would I be afraid of you?"

Darian's head dropped and he closed his eyes, "I'm a monster now....I-I'm not even....human."

Hermione hugged him once again and Darian shivered, feeling tranquility wash over him instantly. "I swear that I would never abandon you, Darian," Hermione told him sincerely, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

Darian closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her briefly, "Thank you...."

###########END FLASHBACK################

Hermione smiled as she remembered the feeling of being held by Darian, a blush made it's way to her cheeks. She quickly sobered up, however when she remembered how Snape had reacted to Darian accidentally telling her.

The man had been horrible to Darian, he had yelled, cursed, and screamed about how stupid and foolish Darian was. The whole time, Darian had been all but cowering in his seat, his eyes clenched tightly shut and his breathing shallow.

Snape hadn't even noticed it.

For about a week after the incident, Darian had done his best to avoid Snape whenever he could and took a seat in the back of the room during Potions class. To put it simply, he had seemed terrified to go near Snape. Even Ron had noticed, but had wisely not questioned it.

Luckily, that ended soon enough and Darian was pretty much back to his old self, except for the fact that whenever Snape snapped at anyone, he would flinch or close his eyes briefly.

She looked out at the full moon.

"Be safe...."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Padfoot was annoyed. Not only that but he was also very worried and very angry. He had been hoping that once he took Darian and Moony out into the Forbidden Forest that they would lay off each other.

Of course nothing goes his way.

They had been fighting constantly, non-stop, Moony wasn't used to having another werewolf around, that was sure.

Padfoot had known that the first full moon would be like this; it would probably be similar to this in the next couple of full moons also. Moony and Darian just needed to get used to each other.

It was strange, how Moony cared so much about Darian when he was Remus Lupin, but was constantly trying to fight him when he was a werewolf. Padfoot would have thought that since Moony was the one that bit Darian, that they wouldn't fight as much.

But things never went his way.

Now, both Darian and Moony were gravely injured. It wouldn't be so bad if Darian were used to being this injured once a month. But this was Darian's first transformation and his body was still very fragile. Padfoot was worried that he wouldn't make it. Moony was pretty much in the same condition, but unlike Darian, he was used to it.

Padfoot would be glad when the moon went down in a couple hours.

A growl brought him back to the presence and he turned to see Darian snarling at Moony with his hackles raised.

'Oh boy...' he thought mentally before Darian leapt at Moony. The two tumbled through the trees in a snarling fit, each one clawing and biting at each other. Padfoot sprang after them, darting through the trees as he hurried to catch up with the two werewolves before they got to far away.

Moony was on top of Darian, biting at his neck. Padfoot felt a surge of fury toward the older of the two. He knew Moony couldn't help it, but he would have at least thought that Moony wouldn't be as aggressive as Darian.

Padfoot seized Moony around the neck and hauled him off the other werewolf. Moony snarled at him, lashing out and catching him around the chest, causing him to go whirling into a tree. Padfoot got up dazedly, feeling something warm trickle down his face. He waited for a moment for his vision to clear before he padded off after the two. Moony had Darian's tail while the younger werewolf was howling at the top of his lungs, making Padfoot's ears ring.

Padfoot hurried over and clamped his teeth around Moony's tail, causing the werewolf to howl in pain and release Darian.

Darian swayed as he started nursing his wounded tail. Padfoot thrust Moony into a cluster of bushes about ten feet from Darian. Moony reemerged a couple minutes later with clumps of dirt and leaves matted into his fur, contrasting greatly to the dried blood.

He launched himself at Darian once again but Padfoot was ready this time, he clamped onto Moony's back leg and gave it a hard tug. Moony went spinning away into the same cluster of bushes once again.

Darian finished tending to his tail and stood up, stretching as his amber eyes darted around for his fellow werewolf. Moony emerged from the bushes and Darian let out a growl as he tried to lunge at Moony, only to be stopped by Padfoot.

Padfoot really hated hurting his godson, but if it meant keeping him safe, then he would do it. He bit into the back of Darian's neck and gave the wolf a hard tug. Darian was much more lighter then Moony, thankfully, so it wasn't as hard to restrain him. Padfoot released Darian, sending the wolf skidding off behind him.

The black dog gave a sigh of exhaustion as he glanced at the full moon, which was starting to go down, making room for the sun that would shine in a couple hours. They needed to be heading back to the Shrieking Shack. He gave a loud bark to inform his companions to follow him back to the shack.

Moony and Darian followed him silently; both were apparently to tired to fight at the time. Padfoot thought that he could finally get some peace. But things never went his way.

As they neared the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Moony suddenly sprang on Darian, latching himself onto the younger wolf's neck as they both slammed into a tree.

Moony was on top of Darian, standing on top of his chest, cutting off his air. Darian gagged as he tried to push the suffocating weight off from him but Moony held strong. Padfoot was upon Moony in a flash as he shot himself toward his friend.

Padfoot ran, headfirst, into Moony's form, sending them both sailing over a large hill and into a swamp. Darian quickly got up, panting gratefully before hurrying after his godfather and fellow werewolf.

Moony and Padfoot were both drenched in swamp water and Darian would have laughed if he could have; his lungs still felt as if they were crushed. Moony was the first one who made his way back up the hill and Darian tensed. He started backing away from the other werewolf cautiously, not wanting to get into another fight. Moony seemed to sense his caution, for he closed in on him.

Darian continued to back away, his amber eyes searching desperately for Padfoot's form, but the dog was nowhere in sight. Moony shot up at him and shoved him on the ground once again. He bit on Darian's ear and gave a hard pull. Darian howled in pain, feeling as if the werewolf were going to rip his ear off. He could hear his blood pounding in the ear.

Darian reared back his left hind leg and knocked the other werewolf squarely in the stomach, which happened to be where he had made a large gash earlier. Moony yelped and rolled off from the young werewolf. Darian gained more confidence as he gripped Moony's leg with his teeth.

Big mistake.

Apparently Darian had gained just a little too much confidence since the next moment later, he was sent flying into a large oak tree. A sharp crack echoed across the forest as Darian made contact with the trunk.

Moony stopped his advance, knowing that he had gone to far. Padfoot chose that precise time to finally make his way up the hill, having heard the crack. He bounded over to Darian, inspecting the unconscious werewolf's injuries.

Padfoot gave Moony a look that promised trouble after he had healed. Moony hung his head slightly as he stepped closer to Darian, careful to keep his distance unless the wolf instincts took over once again. Padfoot gently lifted Darian up with his teeth and flung him onto his back. He then started to make his way out of the forest, going very slowly so his precious load wouldn't fall off and get wounded even worse.

Moony trailed behind, having the grace to look quite ashamed. They made their way across the grounds, stopping every once and a while to keep Darian from slipping off Padfoot's back.

Padfoot stopped in front of the Whomping Willow and Moony hurried ahead, dodging the swinging branches to press a paw on the knot of the tree. The willow froze immediately and Padfoot continued on his way.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The sun shone bright and cheery the next morning. All of the inhabitants of Hogwarts seemed to have gotten a rather decent amount of sleep; some were already rising to eat breakfast. The students were chatty, as usual; the teachers were talking quietly among themselves, as usual. Only a handful of the people could have been seen moping about.

Hermione Granger sat rigidly at her table from her place beside Ron. She picked at her breakfast cautiously, her thoughts elsewhere. Ron had no idea why she was so quiet today. His first thought was that something had happened to Darian. The redhead glanced over at the Ravenclaw table to see Lisa Turpin sitting by herself. Ron frowned and shook his head; it was probably nothing, Darian was probably still getting dressed.

How wrong he was.

Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore sat next to each other at the teacher's table. Neither one of them spoke and if anyone had been looking in their direction they might have gotten the impression that they were waiting for something, which they were.

Albus sighed as he glanced sadly around the Great Hall, hoping to see a familiar black dog bounding up to them. He glanced over at the brooding man beside him. Snape was looking at his food, though not touching it. It was quite obvious that there was something up with the Potion's Master and any student that might have looked his way may have thought that Trelawney had just predicted that Gryffindor would win the house cup again.

Albus might have smiled, had it not been for the serious situation. He could tell that Severus was worried about Darian. No matter how hard the man tried to hide it, it was quite obvious to Albus. Of course, Albus knew Severus more then almost anyone so it wouldn't be that hard to tell what the man was thinking.

"I'm sure he's fine, Severus," Albus said reassuringly as he started to butter his toast. The other man's head snapped up so fast that Albus feared that he might have broken his neck in the process.

"And why would I care, Albus?" Severus asked coldly as he eyed the older man with resentment.

Albus smiled, "Why do you deny it when it's quite obvious of your feelings for him?" He asked innocently.

Severus smirked, "Yes, it is quite obvious that I cannot stand him."

The older wizard sighed lightly, "I mean your real feelings for him, Severus, why must you insist on putting him through this torture when all he wants is for you to love him?"

Severus opened his mouth to retort when he was interrupted by a loud bark. The two wizards turned to see Snuffles, running as fast as he could to the teacher's table.

The few students who were up at this early hour turned to look at the dog curiously, some whispering among themselves. Ron glanced at Hermione, who looked alarmed.

"Shall we, Severus?" Albus asked quietly and the other wizard nodded. The two stood up to follow the dog.

They stepped into an abandoned classroom and Snuffles transformed back into Sirius.

"Albus, tell Madame Pomfrey to get a bed ready for Darian," he choked, gasping for breath.

Dumbledore turned serious immediately, "What is it? What happened, Sirius?"

Sirius shook his head, "He's injured very badly. Remus and him wouldn't stop fighting; the whole time all they did was fight."

Snape scowled darkly.

Dumbledore nodded and made to go to the Hospital Wing, "I shall see you two soon."

Sirius turned back into Snuffles before leading Snape out onto the grounds to the Whomping Willow. Snape pushed open the door to the Shrieking Shack and cursed as Snuffles all but ran over him to get to Darian.

Snape let his eyes slid across the room, taking in the blood that now stained the walls and floor. He caught sight of Remus, who had a robe over him, pale and shaking. There were bite marks, scratches, cuts, and bruises that marred every visible part of his body.

An involuntarily shiver ran up Snape's spine as he thought of the condition Darian would be in. He turned to see Sirius, in human form, leaning over Darian's figure. Snape slowly made his way over to the fallen boy.

Sirius was murmuring comforting words to the boy. Darian looked in worse shape then Remus, he had much more larger injuries along with at least three large gashes on his neck, his back was arched in a strange way. Snape bent down next to his son, trying desperately to ignore the blood that was caked on the small body.

"Tend to Lupin, Black," he commanded Sirius.

Sirius, who usually would have argued, nodded and hurried over to Remus, who was just starting to come to.

Snape took off his outer robe to wrap it around the shivering boy. The boy whimpered in pain and Snape carefully picked him up. Darian seemed to be having a lot of trouble breathing as he was choking violently, tremors running through his small frame. Darian coughed up some blood before moaning and loosing what little consciousness he had left.

Snape stood there for a moment watching the limp form in his arms with a look of wonder and puzzlement on his face. He was finally snapped out of his trance when Sirius called, "Come on, Snape! Do you want him to bleed to death?"

Snape opened his mouth to tell the blasted idiot that the boy wasn't in that bad of condition when he felt blood soaking through the robe he had wrapped Darian in.

Dumbledore met the two at the entrance to the Whomping Willow, where Sirius handed him Remus and turned back into Snuffles.

They hurried up to the Hospital Wing, which was empty except for a teary Madame Pomfrey. She told them to put the two in beds before shooing Dumbledore, Snape, and Snuffles out.

"Is Darian alright, Professors?" came Hermione's frantic voice as soon as they stepped out of the Wing. Ron was beside her looking quite confused, "Why would Darian be in the Hospital Wing, 'Mione?"

Hermione ignored the question as she stared at Dumbledore expectantly. "He is unconscious now, Miss Granger. You may see him after he wakes up...."

"But, I promised him we'd be there for him when he wakes up!" Hermione exclaimed. "I want to know if he's okay!"

"Miss Granger!" Snape snapped. "I suggest you head back to your dormitory unless you want to ensure the House Cup for Slytherin."

Ron stiffened at that and grabbed Hermione's sleeve. "Come on, let's go. I don't even know why you think he's in any trouble...." Ron waited for her to explain but when she didn't, he huffed and walked back down to the Gryffindor dorms.

Hermione stood there for a moment, glaring at Snape before she to left with a scowl, her arms folded making her look like a child who had just been denied a sweet.

The door to the Hospital Wing opened right after Hermione's departure and an anxious Madame Pomfrey stepped out.

"He's hyperventilating! Hurry!" she exclaimed before hurrying back into the Hospital Wing, the others trailing behind quickly.

Remus was beside Darian's bed, talking reassuringly to the shaking boy.

"Remus! Get back in your bed immediately!" Poppy snapped. "Darian is already hyperventilating. I don't need you to pass out!"

Snuffles gently helped Remus back in bed while Poppy, Albus, and Severus gathered around Darian's bed.

Darian was curled into a ball at the head of the bed, his skin was paler then usual. His green eyes were wide and glazed slightly as they darted around like a caged animal. He was trembling as if someone was shaking him. His breathing was very shallow, to shallow.

"Darian?" Albus asked gently as he sat down on the boy's bed. Darian's eyes snapped on the headmaster's form. "Stay away!" he shouted to the old man. "Stay away from me! No, don't touch me!" he yelled as Albus reached out a wrinkled hand to grasp Darian's.

"What is the matter child?"

"I won't do it again! You can't make me!" Darian screamed in fury, his green eyes flaring to amber. "You can't make me do it again!"

"Do what again, Darian?"

"I won't do it! I won't!"

"Darian-" Albus reached out a hand again and Darian recoiled immediately as if it were a snake.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

"What is wrong with him?" Snape demanded as he stepped closer to the boy. Darian's eyes flew from Severus to Albus and back again.

"Stay away from me..."

"He's just suffering from a severe shock," Poppy explained quietly as she took out a Calming Potion. "The pain must have been to much for him."

"Well I should say so!" Sirius, who had turned back into a human, snapped. "Remus and him did nothing but fight!"

Albus looked over at Remus disapprovingly.

"I couldn't help it," Remus whispered, looking guilty. "I tried to stop.....but I couldn't...."

"Here Darian, honey, take this," Poppy said gently as she held out the vial of Calming Potion. Darian seemed to be trying to make himself invisible as he pressed himself against the wall tightly; his eyes still wide, alert.

"It will help, Darian," Albus insisted quietly but did not try to take Darian's hand again.

Darian eyed the potion with distrust. "Just drink the potion, Darian," Sirius said mildly as he approached the boy's bed (Darian's eyes snapped on him). "You honestly don't think we'll poison you, do you?"

The innocent question just seemed to drive Darian into hysterics and the boy was soon convulsing as if the Cruciatus Curse had recently hit him.

"He's not getting enough air!" Poppy exclaimed over Darian's frantic gasps for air. "We need to calm him down!"

"Stupefy him," Severus told them all as he took out his wand and pointed it at the boy. "Severus! No!" he heard the headmaster say desperately but he had already cast the spell.

"Stupefy!" a jet of red light shot from his wand just as Darian turned back towards him. For a moment, Severus thought that he was dreaming. Time seemed to stop as the spell froze in midair only a couple inches from Darian's face. The boy was staring at the jet of light with an odd, fascinated expression. Snape met his son's pained green eyes for a moment before time rightened again, only this time, the spell was coming towards him instead of Darian.

It happened so fast that Severus could have sworn that he imagined it. One moment, he was staring at Darian and the next, he heard the headmaster shout and everything went black.

() Phew! Okay that seemed like a good place to stop.

Don't know if it was very good. I have been really nervous about the werewolf transformation so tell me if I screwed it up or if it was good!

Please review!

Bye!